Rspb Big Garden Birdwatch

[Whiskyfromsmallglasses]

Hi just wondering if anyone is taking part this year and if you have had much success?

My garden is very quiet in general just now. Got a varied selection of birds but not in any great amounts. I haven't changed what I feed them and all the feeders are clean and mould free etc water is cleaned out regularly and melted when frozen so not sure where they all are. Anyone else noticing this?

Very quiet compared to previous years

Very vocal birds here and on walks. Not seen any decrease.

I did it yesterday and the most I got was 2 coal tits. It was a bit dull tbh. Of course, I looked out again this morning and there were about 7 of them in the tree, plus loads of other species flitting about. I just chose the wrong time.

Yes I'm doing it. I have loads of small (and large) birds but not today as it's blowing a gale outside and they're all hiding!!

This is my first time taking part in the birdwatch, although I've been feeding the birds for years. 4 pigeons, 2 blackbirds and a magpie this morning. I did have a robin a month or so ago but not seen him since around New Year. Where are all the sparrows? The starlings? The blue tits? Generally there seems to be a huge increase in magpies an crows round here. Perhaps that explains the lack of smaller birds?

London - fewer than previous years. Don't think I've had a bird in all day.

I did it yesterday. Lots of blue and great tits but I didn't know if they were returning ones or different each time. We have a resident robin, magpie and pigeon.

I get a robin, great tits, coal tits, a couple of wagtails occasionally, a wren, male blackbird, sparrows, a few starlings ( usually the garden is covered in them ) and a pigeon. What does everyone feed them?

Just counted 2 long tailed tits, 1 robin, 1 dunnock, 1 blue tit, 5 starlings and about 20 sparrows.
We usually also have Wood pigeons, Collared Doves, Magpies, Black birds, Great tits and the occasional Sparrow hawk too but of course they hide when they know I’m counting 👀

We had 11 total combo of black bird, magpie, blue tits, great toys, long tailed tits, dunnock and wood pigeon. We heard a Robin but couldn't see him.

I thought about doing it, but frankly all the birds are in my neighbours garden as he feeds them all sorts. I can see them from my bedroom window. He puts apples out, all the windfalls from his Autumn crop, so has flocks of fieldfares, parakeets, blackbirds etc. He also has rats, so less impressed by that!

I get the standard birds, but you can never time them. From one hour to the next I might have loads or nothing...... So I'm not sure what the point is really.

I know we have a great variety of birds which I would love to list, but not every day, and certainly not every hour.

We regularly have: Robins, blackbirds, blue tits, long tailed tits, great tits, field fares, thrush, magpie, wood pigeon, collared dove, parakeets, spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, jay, sparrows, wren, starlings, crows, jackdaws, even a sparrowhawk. We have red kites and buzzard, and kestrals overflying the field opposite

We are blessed, but none of these are counted on a day and an hour that us bereft of birdlife!

We did it yesterday between 12 and 1pm, and the garden was very quiet. Next door's Maine Coon putting in an appearance probably didn't help.

We have woods and common backing onto our garden, and usually have all sorts from woodpeckers and herons to nuthatches and red kites. Just not yesterday.

You’re supposed to be counting the maximum number of a particular species you see at one time, not how many you see all together. I didn’t realise this until I read the instructions properly.

We did it yesterday and saw a couple of magpies, a chaffinch, an eegrit, a pheasant and lots of collared doves and wood pigeons.

We sometimes get a woodpecker (black/white/red) and oystercatchers too but they were no-shows sadly.

We’re farmers on the east coast, so lucky to see lots of beautiful birds.

That’s so you don’t count the same bird more than once.

My haul, this year, was 1 collared dove, 1 Robin, 1 sparrow and 1 house sparrow.

Gutted. Definitely a massive decline.

Oh, and a bastard blue tit pitched up AFTER the hour .

@ClematisRock
Never heard of a bastard bluetit 😆

They’re everywhere round these parts but seem to fuck off during the Big Bird Watch… as do the bastard chaffinches, the bastard woodpeckers and the bastard Great Tits.

Bastards. Harrumph.

Sadly not much here either. Even put food out specially.

I do the count as soon as I can after sunrise, so I did it yesterday from 7.30 to 8.30. Because in my garden at least, that is when they are all cold and hungry! I saw what I was expecting to, pretty much. Plus a great tit that I haven't seen before. We have lots of red kites overhead but can't include them as they never land.

@KnittedCardi you may be interested in the BTO’s all year round garden birdwatch You do it at times to suit yourself, drop out whenever you want, and can see your own records and stats based on them. Also a magazine where you can see whether your garden is following national trends